Hearst Tower: 2006 Winner

The SKYDB Awards recognize high-rise buildings that unite architectural quality with practical performance, and Hearst Tower in New York was selected as the 2006 SKYDB Awards Winner.

The office tower rises above the preserved six-story shell of the Hearst Magazine Building, completed in 1928. A glazed skirt separates the historic masonry base from the new diagonal steel frame and allows the two periods to remain visually distinct. Inside, the former open courtyard becomes a full-height lobby shared by the old building and the tower above.

The diagrid carries gravity and lateral loads with about 20 percent less structural steel than a conventional perimeter frame of comparable scale. Escalators cross the lobby above a shallow indoor water feature that moderates the large public space. The award recognizes a convincing addition to a protected landmark and a structural system that gives the new tower its architectural identity.

Architect: Foster + Partners, with Adamson Associates Architects